Civil War Military Re-enactors of a Certain Age – It is Time to Portray a Civilian!

Civil War Military Re-enactors of a Certain Age – It is Time to Portray a Civilian!

As historic process photographers who have taken images at the major 150^th Anniversary Civil War re-enactments, we have seen good, bad, ugly, uglier and scary impressions. While I normally focus on civilian impressions, it is time to consider the state of the hobby in the military sector.

This is an aging hobby and many military re-enactors have continued to portray soldiers long after any actual mid-19^th Century male would have been considered qualified to serve in the Home Guard. There has been many an event where we pitied the horses that were drafted to serve as rides for cavalry impersonators of zaftig proportions. Women who make no effort to pass as male soldiers defile the ranks at reenactments. Even children with toy guns join infantry units. 

While I am all for family fun, a re-enactment that is marketed to the general public as a living history event should aspire to some level of authenticity. The 150^th Cedar Creek re-enactment this weekend purported to have standards of authenticity; however, it is clear that nobody made any effort to enforce the standards. Visitors that were charged $18 a head to watch the battles were treated to badly executed skirmishes in which unfit, couch potato, weekend warrior, poorly accoutered, aged soldiers who fired their weapons at point blank range resulting in- no casualties.

Yes, another challenge in staging even a pseudo authentic re-enactment, there is a significant number of re-enactors who want to “burn powder” rather than recreate history. As such, they refuse to die or fall wounded.  At a properly choreographed re-enactment, the commanding officers direct certain persons under their command to portray casualties. That is authentic. People must die.

For those men and women who have reached a certain age – say over 45 – and have continued to portray a soldier, it is time to clean that military uniform (or burn it), stow it in mothballs (or burn it,) and morph into a civilian impression. This could be your opportunity to improve an impression. One can portray a civilian with authenticity as an older, less fit, softer, slower, and more rotund human. The possibilities are endless. So, you’ll have to hang up your Henry, Spencer, Sharps or Enfield rifle and carry a walking stick instead. But think of the delightful patterned trousers and fabulous civilian frock coats that one can wear! Not to mention you can enjoy portraying civilians with your spouse or significant other and you can decamp to a hotel with a shower and eat really good food while enjoying heat or air conditioning rather than camping in unpleasant weather.

It is time to move into the Civilian world if you attended any of the 125^th re-enactments (or could have) as an adult. Really. I’m not joking. It is time!

Misconceptions About19th Century Women’s Clothing – Embracing the Corset!

Most modern Americans have an antipathy towards the corset – a foundation garment that women wore for centuries before the invention of modern undergarments including the bra. Women envision Scarlett O’Hara trying to whittle her waist to 7 inches after having children and wrongly assume that was the norm.

To the contrary, most women of the mid-19^th Century did not aspire to a waist the size of a twig, Instead, the corset served a multipurpose function of providing back support for the heavy skirts and ensuring women had the appropriate silhouette for the fashions of the day.

A properly fitted corset is extremely comfortable – even if tightly laced. While it does cinch my waist and provides me with the opportunity to contract myself to fit a dress that might otherwise have become un-wearable, I find that I have the same flexibility and ability to run, jump, bend, flex and reach that I do in the 21^st century. Today I donned my corset at 7:30am, wore a wool dress over my petticoats and personal linens until 5:30pm, and then changed into a dinner dress to attend a banquet until 9:00pm. So I wore my corset from dawn until past dusk and never felt a moment of discomfort.

The secret is a custom designed garment sewn to my own measurements to the centimeter and dresses equally well tailored. A properly fitted corset will expand and contract according to the daily changes of a woman’s body. That is the beauty of the laces. And it is easy to self adjust.

While there may be a slight learning curve, I found that I could be equally at ease in my 19^th Century clothing as I am in the 21^st Century. Yes, the layer of personal linens can feel unpleasant in the midst of a particularly challenging summer. But truly, it is impossible to feel comfortable when the temperature rises to 95 degrees while wearing anything. It is also important to recall that before the advent of air-conditioning, people were more accustomed to dealing with heat. I am still amazed at people of a certain age who were raised in the times before central air that these folks can still use a pressure cooker and made jam or can vegetables in the midst of a torrid summer without a thought of the sultry weather conditions. It is what one becomes accustomed to experiencing.

And I am proud to say that I have become accustomed to wearing mid 19^th Century clothes. I am comfortable and mobile. I can celebrate the beauty of the fashions and the practical reasons for certain garments.  Perhaps someday we will review the beauty and purpose of split drawers.

Photos courtesy of Originals By Kay. 

Happy 84th Birthday to My Mom, Eileen Copeland~

 

Today my mother celebrates her 84^th birthday. This is not the 84 of times past. Instead, my mother celebrates with vitality that a decade ago may have been incomprehensible for a women of her age. She attends senior aerobics classes, goes to Curves several times per week, and has started “chair yoga” with my dad.

In December last year she emailed her offspring to advise us all that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, had scheduled a lumpectomy for the Friday before Christmas, but not to worry because it was no big deal. I, of course, disregarded her nonchalance and made reservations to fly into Indianapolis and be there for her surgery. I had to explain that it was for me rather than her. She knew she would be fine. Her only concern was being able to take the trip she and my dad had already scheduled to see the Panama Canal in February.

True to form, the day after her surgery she was up, worked the crossword puzzle in the paper, and was ready to attend Mass and go out to dinner Saturday evening. I aspire to such optimism and resilience.

 

My mom is a child of the depression. When I was a youngster she rinsed and re-used tinfoil and plastic storage bags. She knows how to be thrifty but not parsimonious. After she completed her 37 radiation treatments, she decided to use part of her AFLAC benefits to buy an iPhone so she could text her grandchildren.  The rest of us benefit. She sends us photos she’s taken with her phone of places, people and meals that keep us up to date. She sends us text messages that help us to feel connected. Many people of her generation fear technology, but Mom embraces it. In fact she and my dad now each have their Kindles for reading while traveling.

I admire my mom for continuing to grow with the times and embrace new technologies and adventures. She doesn’t let the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that can impact her life stop her from moving forward and celebrating each day. Still today she defines old as at least 10 years older than she is. On that she and I agree. I’ve decided I won’t concede that I am old until I reach 95.

So I celebrate the amazing force of nature that my mother embodies and thank my higher power that I still have the privilege of having her and my dad in my life today. She remains vibrant, engaged, interested in the world around her, committed to her family , friends, church and community, and has an abundance of friends that appreciate her. What more could any person want?

So, Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you, admire you and appreciate you!

The Responsibilities of Re-enactors Redux!

My spousal unit, an authentic living historian with more knowledge about the American Civil War than I could ever acquire at this point in my life,  reminds me that as small business owners and Civil War sutlers I should just “count the money” rather than rant about the injustices that many re-enactors foist on the unsuspecting general public.

Sigh, I cannot control myself. My angst with the heinous acts perpetrated by persons who allege to promote authenticity overcomes my greed on a regular basis. Okay – I will take the money of the unfortunately attired. I’m not stupid! But I don’t have to approve! And I reserve the right to take surreptitious photographs of the most horrible offenders and to post them on Facebook!

Perhaps my rant was inspired by the knowledge that we will be attending another 150^th event that will be attended by alleged re-enactors that have made no effort to conduct even the most preliminary research to confirm they are presenting an impression that will educate the public. Nope, instead they rely upon the purveyors of inauthentic crap that many sutlers will label as authentic because a) they don’t know any better; b) don’t care; or c) live in alternate universe. I’ve actually listened to the owners of these business talk about the authenticity of their wares while actually believing the propaganda. (forehead slap!).

Historically Accurate Original

Historically Accurate - Original

Historically Accurate Original

NOOOOOOOOO!

Burn this pattern!

I just hope at the event this coming weekend there will be no “traveling Tara” with a faux Scarlett O’Hara holding court in a vinyl tent. A windstorm blew Tara to smithereens last year. Apparently, even Mother Nature could not abide that abomination!

Let me remind one and all that if one decides to attend a re-enactment in any time period as a participant, one has a duty to history and our fellow man to make every effort to look at least mostly authentic. I implore you to read a book, look at original photographs or paintings if the period is before photography, and try to emulate what you see – not what some charlatan tries to sell you! If I see one more jaunty hat with matching tulle trailing down a woman’s back at a Civil War event I may just explode into microscopic bits! Just say NO! It is wrong!

These abominations sell out! They should be banned!

Original Sheer Bonnet

Excellent Reproduction

 

Raggedy Ann Socks- BAD!

This is what one should aspire to wear! Elegant!Originals!

And please - do not have President Lincoln wandering about and General Grant and General Lee at every event in a tent on "General's Row" !!!!! 

Do The Next Right Thing

Do The Next Right Thing

One of the lessons I learned from my years in Al-Anon is to do the next right thing. While it sounds simple, it is not always or even often easy. Sometimes doing the right thing requires courage, overcoming fear, and concentrating on the greater good.

In the past few weeks I’ve had the responsibility to do something that was outside my comfort zone or nature.  But it was the right thing. The decision to proceed was hard. It would have been so easy to brush the situation under the rug, ignore it, repress it, or bury my head in the sand like an ostrich.  I do have a tendency to emulate the ostrich on occasion. Status quo is often more acceptable than tossing a grenade and dodging the shrapnel.

In the spirit of full disclosure, my hand was forced. But in the end, it was liberating.